6. The most common mistakes
The most common mistakes
| Mistake | How to spot it | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Moon logic | Only you understand why the rubber chicken trick works | Explain the solution to a friend in one sentence. If that fails, it is too far fetched. |
| Pixel hunting | The important item is five pixels big | Larger click areas, highlighting at the press of a key |
| Dead end | An item can be used up or missed, after that the game can no longer be solved | Provide items again, don't lock areas for good |
| Solution before problem | The player has the key long before seeing the door | Make the item findable only after the problem appears |
| Everything on everything | Testers try every item on every object | Clearer hints, fewer items at the same time |
| Too linear | There is always exactly one puzzle open | Add a second thread to the dependency chart |
| No reaction | A sensible attempt only gets the default text | Give common wrong attempts their own answers |
| Puzzle without a reason | The puzzle only exists to fill time | Connect it to the goal or the story, or cut it |
Rule to remember
If a puzzle is only logical to you, it isn't logical.
Your task
Go through the table with your game and note one concrete change for every hit.
